Automatic train pipe connecter



July 31, 1934. ROBINSON 1,968,313

AUTOMATIC TRAIN PIPE CONNECTER Original Filed Oct. 29, 1928 INVENIOR J. ifobzmsoio ATTORN EY-5 Patented July 31, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Joseph Robinson, New York, N. Y., assignor of one-half to Roy M. Wolvin, Montreal, Quebec,

Canada Application October 29, 1928, Serial No. 315,655 Renewed June 7, 1933 14. Claims. (01. 285-58) 7' This invention relates to automatic train pipe connecters for railway cars, and its principal object is to simplify the construction of such connecters and reduce their cost of manufacture.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will be hereinafter set forth and the novel features thereof defined by the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my invention as it would appear applied to a car. In this view a part of the car coupler anda part of the train pipe hose is broken away.

Figure 2 is a plan view on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a front elevation of the resilient member and lug forming a part of my invention. Figure 4 is a sectional side view of a detail of the lower end of the resilient member in modified form, and

Figure 5 is a side elevation of a modification of the supporting means of this invention.

In carrying out the objects of my invention I provide the customary lug 6 which is attached to or cast integral with the car coupler '7, preferably at its under side. These parts are sometimes referred to in the claims hereof as a fixed car part. The lug is perforated and is provided with a vertically extending grove 8. To yieldingly support the coupling head A, I provide a resilient member B, later more fully described. The coupling head may be of any desired form. I illustrate the butt-face wing type, one feature of my invention having particular relation to it, as will be later pointed out. The head is perforated at substantially its center to rigidly receive one end of a hollow shank C which extends through the head from one side thereof. The head may be formed integral with the shank if desired. A fitting in the form of a fluid conduit 9 is removably mounted, as by the plunger pin 10 or other suitable means, in the hollow shank and projects therethrough to the face of the head and carries thereat a suitable gasket. The train pipe hose D is connected to the conduit at the lower end in any suitable manner, and at its upper end the hose is connected to the train pipe of the car in the customary way. The shank C is provided with a rearwardly extending slotted lug 11 providing parallel arms 12' and 13' across which arms extends a hollow cylindrical trunnion 15 supported upon the pintle pin 15'. The lower end of the resilient member B is bent around the trunnion 15 to provide an eyelet 16.- This eyelet and trunnion form a pivotal connection for the shank 11 and serve to yieldingly support the head A in a predetermined position while at the same time permitting limited universal movement of the same. The member is formed of a bar of spring steel tapered throughout approximately '0- its length, as shown to prevent localization of stresses in the spring. The spring or resilient member B is provided with one or more loops or coils 17 to give it the maximum of resiliency with the minimum vertical length. The base or Q5 upper end 18 is preferably vertically disposed and lies in the groove 8 aforesaid. A clamp or clevis l9 straddles the base, passes through the lug 6, and locks the base in the groove and in the opening in the lug, producing a rigid union of these parts.

To support the-coupling head A in the normal horizontal position when it is uncoupled, I pivotally attach to the rear side of the head, in any suitable manner as at 20, a rod 21. The rear end of the rod is bent into the form of a loop to provide a slot 22 through which the upper end of the bracket or resilient member B passes. The rod normally rests on top of the coil or loop 1'7. When the coupling head Amoves rearwardgo ly in coupling, the slot 22 permits restrained universal movement of the head. The lower hooked shaped end 16 of the member 13 fits close-- ly against the bottom of the bifurcation in the lugl, the purpose of which arrangement is to place the member under torsional stress when the head A moves laterally and thus insure that the head will always be returned to the normal position shown. Some resistance to such lateral movement is desirable in eifecting a fast coupling on a sharp curve between wing type coupling heads in order to prevent the heads from flying out of alignment at the instant of initial engagement. If preferred the lower end of the member B may be formed as shown at 23 in Fig- 95, ure 4, where it'is illustrated as extending under the trunnion 15 and rearwardly thereof in approximately a horizontal plane. In both constructions the contacting surfaces of the lower end of the member and of the lug 11 are curved in opposite directions to provide contacting cam surfaces.

It will be understood that if the coupling head A should become dislodged from the shank C or from the member B for any reason, such'as breakage of any of these parts, the rod 21 will prevent the head fr'omfalling off the car, and that if the rod should break, dislodgmentof the head from the car would be prevented by the connection between the member B and the bearing in the shank C.

In Figure 5 is illustrated a modification of my improved support. This consists in forming the resilient member to the general shape of a clevis B and providing each arm thereof with one or more loops or coils 24. The upper arm 30 is anchored to the rear top side of the head as at in any suitable manner, while the lower extremity 26 of the other arm 31 is hooked into the slotted shank C similar to the manner shown in Figure i. Suitable clamps 27 rigidly attach this modified form of the bufier member or bracket 13 to the car coupler lug 28. Preferably the member is flattened at 29 to prevent rotation in the clamps when the coupling head A is moved laterally. It will be understood that the connections of the arms 30 and 31 to the coupling head are such as to place the arms under tension when the head is moved either laterally, vertically, or longitudinally, thus insuring that the head will always be returned to the normal predetermined position illustrated. a i

What I claim is:

1. In an automatic train pipe connecter, the combination with a car part, of a coupling head, a shank extending rearwardly from said head and provided with a bearing, a resilient member disposed above said shank and extending into said bearing for supporting said head on said fixed car part and for placing the head under pressure, said member constituting the sole support for the rear end of said shank, and means for preventing head from falling ofi of said fixedcar part in event of breakage of said memhead, a shank extending rearwardly from said head and provided with a bearing, a resilient member disposed above said shank and extending into said bearing for yieldingly supporting said head on said fixed car part against horizontal movement, there being oppositely presented curved cam surfaces on said resilient member and shank whereby the shank has rocking movement on said member.

3. In an automatic train pipe connecter, the combination with a perforated grooved fixed car part, of a resilient member the upper end of which occupies said groove and extends into said perforation, means for locking the resilient memher in the perforation and groove, a coupling head, a shank extending rearwardly from said head and provided with a bearing which embraces the lower end of said resilient member and has rocking movement thereon, and means for supporting said head against downward movement from the normal uncoupled position.

4. In an automatic train pipe connecter, the combination with a fixed car part, of a coupling head, a shank extending rearwardly from said head and provided with a bearing, a substantially vertically disposed resilient member for supporting said head on said car part and for placing the head under pressure, a shank extending rearwardly from said head provided with a bearing for receiving the lower end of said resilient member whereby the shank has rocking movement on said resilient member, said mem ber being looped at a point above said shank, and means anchored to said head and embracing said member at a point adjacent said loop for supporting said head against downward movement from the normal uncoupled position.

5. In an automatic train pipe connecter, the combination with a fixed car part, a coupling head, a shank extending rearwardly from said head and provided with a bearing, and a resilient member disposed above said shank and extending into said bearing for supporting said head on said fixed car part and for resisting horizontal movement of the head and means for preventing localization of stresses in said resilient member.

.6; In an automatic train pipe connecter, the combination with a fixed car of a coupling head, a shank extending rearvmrdly from said head and provided with a bearing, a resilient member disposed above said head and extending downwardly into said bea ing for yieldingly supporting said head on said fixed car part and against horizontal movement of the head, said resilient member being tapered to prevent localization of stresses in the same, said member being formed with a loop between said bearing and said fixed car part. v

7. In an automatic train pipe connecter, the combination with a fixed car part, or" a coupling head, a shank extending rearwardly from said head and provided with a bifurcated bearing, a member disposed above said shank and having its lower end extending into said bearing and constituting the sole support for the rear end of shank, the upper end of said member being rigidly anchored to said fixed car part and its lower endbeing adapted to swing-longitudinally of the car and to impart resistance to movement of said coupling head;

8. In an automatic train pipe connecter, in

combination, a fixed car part, a spring buffer depending from said part, and coupling means including a head, said coupling head having a shank normally connected with the hunter for wide lateral swinging and-yielding movements, and a rigid additional member connecting the head with the buffer so the head cannot be lost ii broken from the shank. I

9. Inan automatic train pipe connecter, in combination, a fixed car part, a spring buffer depending from said part, and coupling means including a head, said couplin head having a shank connected with the buiier for wide lateral swinging and yielding movements, and an additional -member connecting the head with the buffer so the head cannot be lost if broken from theshank, the last member including a rod attached to the head and having a movable connection with the buffer to accommodateior free movements of the head relatively to the buffer and with the said buffer.

10. In an automatic train pipe connecter, the combination with a fixed car part, or" a coupling head, a resilient'member connecting said head and fixed car part for yieldingly supporting the head in a predetermined position against lateral movement, and means rigidly connecting said head and resilient member for preventing loss of saidhead due to breakage. 7

11. In an automatic train pipe connecter, the combination with a fixed car part, of a coupling head, a shank extending rearwardly from said head, a resilient member rigidly connected at one end to said car part and pivotally connected at the other end to said shank for normally supporting said headin a'predetermined position, and a'link pivotally connected to said head at one end, the other end of said link being provided with a slot through which said resilient member extends.

12. 'In an automatic train pipe connecter, the

combination with a fixed car part, of a coupling head, a shank extending rearwardly from said head and provided with a bearing, a resilient member above the shank and extending into the bearing, the said resilient member connecting the shank and fixed car part for yieldingly supporting the head against horizontal movement, the resilient member being looped at a point above the shank and a. rigid supplementary connecting member interconnecting the head and resilient member.

13. In an automatic train pipe connecter, in combination, a fixed car part, a resilient member having a single convolution and depending from said part, coupling means including a head, said coupling head having a shank connected with the resilient member for wide lateral swinging and yielding movements, and a rigid additional member supporting the head in its mounting on the resilient member so the head cannot be lost if broken from the shank, the said additional member interconnecting the head and resilient member.

14. In an automatic train pipe connecter, the combination with a fixed car part, of a coupling head, a shank extending from said head and provided with a bearing, a resilient member having a single convolution and depending from said fixed car part, the said resilient member being hooked into and around a portion of said bearing in looking relation thereto to yieldingly support said head on said fixed car part against horizontal movement, and means between the said head and resilient member for supporting the head against downward movement.

JOSEPH ROBINSON. 

